I'm here
by kaikuro
Summary: Sasusaku, slight naruhina, little itasaaku. Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto are all 16. Their lives are great....that is until Sakura experiences a huge downfall. Can Sasuke help? Will Sasuke help? Has his feelings really changed?
1. heaven knows

-1Sasuke Sakura and Naruto had all turned 16. Sasuke and Sakura both being Jounins, and Naruto being a Chunin. Not just any chunin…a strong one…….very strong one.

Sasuke was still cold hearted, but we all know how warm and fuzzy he is on the inside. His feeling for Sakura had developed, and he now cared for her more then he expected.

Sakura had grown her hair out, although she never let it go past her shoulder blades. She had been Tsunade's apprentice for nearly four years, surpassing even Shizune. She developed better jutsu's, and became stronger both physically and mentally.

She began to form curves that a man would die to bed. She's a lot kinder towards Naruto, and still loves Sasuke.

Naruto was…..well what can I say….he was the same old Naruto: short-tempered, happy, caring, funny, encouraging, not to mention a very skilled ninja. The relation ship between Naruto and Sakura were that of a brother-sister love. Him and Sasuke considered themselves to be good friends.

In Konoha, it was now late November. Winter quickly approaching. Most of the villages jounin had been sent on a very important mission. This mission included Kakashi Hatake, also known as the Copy ninja.

" Oi, baka (sasuke)! Why don't you fetch me and Sakura a cup of hot chocolate!.''

" Hey idiot, why don't you fuck off.'', spat Sasuke. Oh yeah, he was pissed for sure.

" umm….it's okay Naruto, I can go get it. " " Thanks _Sakura-chan._", replied Naruto.

" Man what's up with Sasuke-kun, he's been rather upset lately.'' Sakura was so lost in her thoughts, that she walked right past the coffee shop.

" Maybe I said something to offend him?!'' Before she knew it, she was standing right outside her house. " Hey! What am I doing here?!'' Her eyes rested on the door to her house, which lay slightly open. " what the…?'' She managed to walk up to the door, unaware of the fate that awaited her.

She walked in and immediately started to tremble. "it's…s..so cold…'' The wall of the kitchen and living room were smothered in blood, which immediately sent chills up her spine. " Mom!! Dad!!'' She ran upstairs to their room only to find it locked. " Dammit!" She gathered chakra in her fist, and blasted right through the door.

" Mom!?, Da-", unable to finish her sentence she stood their frozen in place. Her eyes were as wide as they had ever been. She could feel the tears start to sting the corners of her eyes.

"No….w…what….what's going..o..on…h…here…" By now she could hardly breathe, let alone stand. Blood covered every inch of the room. Her legs gave way and she fell on the hard wood floor. Her eyes gazed and met with two familiar objects, lying on the floor. " Oh my god…….No!…I can't be…No! No!!, Mom!?, Dad?!". Her parents were slaughtered. Their hearts had been ripped out, and their body's were bloodier than hell. At that moment she could hardly breathe. She thought she was dreaming, but sadly wasn't. Their was only one thing that Sakura could do, something she was good at, and that my friends was- scream.

" AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH." Their wasn't anyone in the world who couldn't hear that. Of course Naruto and Sasuke were the first one's to hear. They ran off, followed by nearby chunins and any other ninja's who happened to be nearby.

Within a matter of minuets, 6 chunins, 3 jounins, 2 ANBU, and her teammates, were all standing at her doorstep. They all barged in without knocking (with that scream, who wouldn't).

Seeing the blood on the walls and floors sent shivers up her teammates backs. The ANBU clearly knew what was going on.

Naruto was the first to fly the door open to her parents room. " Sakura! What's wr-", Naruto froze. Sasuke entered and the same with him. The ANBU gave each other a quick nod, and went to the hokage's office.

A report was immediately filled. News spread quickly, and within no time at all, the whole village practically knew what was going on. It also didn't take long for the hokage to hear about this. She rushed to her pupils house in disbelief.

" S….Sakura-chan…w…what happened. Who could have…?….''

oo…..how u like that!!!! I'll be able to update like once or twice a week!!! I hope you enjoyed this!!!! Poor sakura……oh well!!! Please submit review!!! I'm thinkg that I want to reach 20+ views before I update!!!! kaipo


	2. winter solstice

Hey there! Umm…..yea I've decided that I want at least 11+ reviews before a chapter update!!

Well……I should have about 3 chapters posted up before Monday! kaipo

"Sakura!'', shouted Naruto. " What happened?" Sakura didn't answer. Her eyes held a blank expression, as she sat their covered in blood. Naruto ran over to her side followed by Sasuke, in attempts to comfort her.

" Sakura…..we should…go see the Hokage.'' " Baka's right …we _should_ go visit..she c-". Sakura wasn't listening, at all.

" Why?……Why?..Who did this!?" The look in her eyes were something that Naruto and Sasuke had never seen. It was the look of pure and utmost hatred.

" Look Sakura-chan m-." " Fuck!", she screamed. By now everyone in the room was speechless. Sasuke knew that she didn't want comfort at the moment. This situation had been all to familiar to Sasuke. Making him watch his teammate go through it was sickening.

" The stench of blood..it's…..disgusting..", thought Sasuke. Sakura got up and punched the window and ran out. Tsunade arrived just in time to see her student flee.

" Sasuke Naruto go now and bring Sakura back so w-", before she could finish, both boys were already gone.

"Oi! Sakura-chaaaaaaaaannnnnn!! Where are you?"

"Damnit! Who did this? Why her parents." Sasuke knew all too well what she was going through. He began to have the slightest doubt that it was _him, _at fault.

" Hey Naruto we should split up, we could find her faster." " No way! If you find Sakura I want to be their to comfort her too ." Naruto wasn't even paying attention, and slipped on one of the tree branches. " Damn rain!" It had been about two hours into the search, and it was pouring.

Sakura was walking, unaware that she was standing right on a frozen lake. She layed down on the grass, her eyes closed. The white dress she was wearing to the party was now stained red. It was drenched with blood. The ends of her bubble gum hair, were a tinge of red. She opened her eyes, and stared at the full moon above. She felt dirty. The tears stung the corners of her eyes. " No…I won't cry….I…s.said…I wouldn't..c..cry..anymore." Her eyes were bloodshot red.

Sasuke arrived just in time to see Sakura walking on the thin ice. " what is she doing?" He watched on a nearby tree.

" I have nothing…….", those were the last words he heard before she punched the thin ice. It was then when he realized her true intentions. " Shit, Sakura!!" He ran towards the lake. The, thin ice below Sakura cracked. " Ah…Sasuke…ku…..n…"

" Shit, Sakura!" He grabbed her arms, but before he knew it, they both plunged into the freezing water. " Gahhh!!" " Sasuke-kun.. Let go…" He held onto her tightly, and in a matter of seconds, shadow clones appeared; helping them to the surface.

" Fuck!" He lay their on the cold ice with Sakura in his arms. He took off his coat and wrapped in around her. He stood up and carried her bridal style to the nearest shelter. " Damn it's freezing." "Sasuke-kun, put…m.m.me..d.down.." " Not a chance."

Sakura became unconscious. " Sakura hold on!" He was now carrying her dead weight. His legs went numb, but he continued to walk. In a few minuets, it began to snow lightly.

They were both soaking wet, and whenever the wind would blow, he would become ten times colder. It felt like a thousand needles were being drove into his body.

Yet he walked on.

Within an hour or so, he found an empty shack. " This should do it. " He entered the semi-torn up shack, and immediately collapsed. He gently laid Sakura down beside him. The shack was poorly furnished. "Hn…a small fire place , a drawer, some blankets, and a nice termite eaten floor. Could this get any worse."

Apparently yes, because just then it started to snow harder, and the rain sounded like thunder as it hit the rooftop. " I swear the temperature must've dropped like 8° just now."

" Crap I can't just leave her in those wet clothes. After a moment of though, he began stripping her. " You gotta do the Sasuke, you can do it!" Without further adieu he untied the strings of her dress. He grabbed one of the blankets and dried her body as best as he could.

" Hmm. She wears a black lace bra.." Sasuke mentally slapped himself for thinking that. The moonlight shown right on Sakura's skin, making her look like a giant crystal.

He liked how her lips looked glossy, and formed an "o" as she lay their. He hadn't really noticed how beautiful she had become. His eyes had taken in every detail of her body.

A cold breeze passed through the room. Sakura began coughing. He got up and wrapped his arms around her waist. He began rubbing her arms. He just couldn't resist the urge to kiss her, and planted a kiss in the crook of her neck. Sleep consumed them both.

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hoped joo all liked it!! Please review!!! Offer any comments suggestions…..blah,blah,blah!!!

I _love_ writing _romantic_ parts!!! REviEw !!!


	3. ties

-1Sasuke awoke to the sound of Sakura screaming her head off. " No! No! No! Where's my parents?!" " Nnn….Sakura……calm down!" He reached forward and once again wrapped his arms around her again. Sure he wasn't used to being so mushy, but he cared for her. Knowing exactly what she was going through, it was sort of automatic for him to comfort her.

" it's m…my..f..fault. I wasn't their to protect them." " No…it's not your fa-"

" YES IT WAS!!", she knew that the blame lay totally on her. " I wasn't their for them! Instead I just stayed at the party and didn't bother to check on them! If only I weren't so weak…..It was all m-."

She was talking way too much, and Sasuke finally snapped. She was now in a total trance. Sasuke's hot lips covered hers, in a hard yet passionate kiss. He got so tired of listening to her that he decided to _shut-her-up_.

" Mhnn…." Their lips parted and they were both gasping for breath.

" OMG?!, I must be dreaming! If I am don't you dare wake me up! CHA!! . ."

Her inner Sakura was practically dancing and celebrating.

" I can't believe I just did that'', thought Sasuke. He looked up at Sakura's emerald eyes. They were wide as hell. " At least that _shut-her-up."_

Sakura broke out of her trance as she felt the cold winter air pass by. " Holy S..Sh!t…I…It….It's..f.f.f.freezing..!" She looked down at her body only to see it half naked. " Eeeeeep!! What's g..going on?, where are my clothes?"

_" _Don't you remember?" " remember what?" " You fell into the lake and then blacked out." " Did you save me? Ohh!…w…why did you ..s..save me?!"

" Why wouldn't I? Look Sakura I know what you must be feeling, but you shouldn't beat yourself up about it!"

" …yea right…I deserve to die…" "…Sakura….will-you-Shut-up!!, you're starting to piss me off." He was yelling at her at the top of his lungs. What ever happiness she felt a minuet ago, was now gone. Her happiness was replaced with the event's earlier that afternoon. The images were burned into her mind, and the stench of blood now flooded her thoughts.

He saw that her face was pale, and she was shaking frantically. Her breathing became irregular, and she fainted onto his lap. The cold air had finally reached her lungs, making it hard to breathe.

" Sakura?!" He took his dried shirt and dressed her in it. He used the last dry blanket to cover her. He took a moment to savor the beautiful view of her gorgeous body.

The moonlight was shinning on her porcelain skin, making Sasuke blush. He was sooooooooooooo glad she didn't see that.

Naruto was still searching for Sakura. He was now leading Shikamaru and Kiba through the forest. Sure it was like 12:00 at night, but we all know that wouldn't stop them.

Back a the shack, Sasuke was sleeping, but Sakura had an agenda of her own.

" Heh….I have no one………" He was interrupted by his sleep when he heard rustling noises. At first he thought it was nothing. That was until the cold air could be felt on his body. " Damn it's fucking cold! Maybe I better check on sa-" It was at that moment he noticed something strange: she wasn't in the shack at all!

" Sakura?!" He got up and looked outside. Sure enough their she was; sitting in the snow shivering. " Sakura?, what the hell are you doing?, let's go back in-…"

Something was wrong. He didn't feel her aura, he could sense no chakra. He wasn't able to move his feet for some odd reason. He just stood their dumbfounded.

She sat their in his shirt and her underwear. She never faced him, instead she just sat their and looked at the moon.

" Some things wrong...Sakura?" She turned around and faced him. What he saw made him stop breathing, and his stomach dropped. "…Sa..Saku..r…ra?

His eyes focused on what he saw all over her body. He knew what it was but didn't want to accept it.

Their was blood all over the place. Not just any blood; her blood. He could've puked if wanted to, but held it back. Sure he was no stranger to the sight and smell of that gooey liquid. But the sight of her blood deeply angered him somehow.

Her wrists were slashed, and body was shaking **a lot**. What struck him the most was the fact that she was smiling.

" Oh! Sasuke-kun!…did I wake you?! Hahaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaahahaaah!! Sorry!

Ahahaahahah!! Look! I cut myself! Haaaahahahaha!"

" She's laughing?! She's in shock, this is seriously bad."

' kay! I like this chappie . !! Review pleaseeeeeeeei know my chappies ur short, but I like it that way! I can't wait to do the lubby-dubby-parts!!!!!!! squee


	4. amends

-1She smiled, and threw a kunai which Sasuke easily caught. He looked at the blood then at her wrists. Sure enough they were slashed-in four different places. Her body was pale, but she was smiling, her legs were frost-bitten, but she was smiling, her breathing was labored, but she was smiling, she was on the verge of death, yet she was still smiling.

" Hahhh!! I deserved it!! The first slash is for not being able to protect my mom, the second is for not protecting daddy, the third is for being a pathetic little _girl, _and the last……for not being able to stop you…..sasuke-kun…."

"…that's enough!……Sakura…enough…" He was now in front of her, and onyx met emerald. He pulled her into a tight yet gentle embrace. His bare skin made her feel like a ton of ice.

" What are you doing!! Let me go! Let me…go..Let me go!!!" His grip only tightened.

" Ugh Damnit I said let me g--" He smothered her lips with his, and whispered into her ear, " it's not your fault." She closed her eyes and really thought about what he had just said. Her mind was in so much chaos right now, and she could hardly think. It took her a good five minuets to really absorb everything that just happened.

" Thank you…Sasuke-kun….thank you…" Both lay their and held each other. The only sound audible was the constant weeping from Sakura.

" You can let m….me go now." " Not until you calm down." " O…okay!" She stopped crying and settled down. With that he released her and both stared at each other for a long time.

" Get up", he demanded. Her frail legs refused to cooperate with her. Not being able to move she started to cry again. "See…I'm still..w..weak!" " Pathetic." He grabbed her upper arm and carried her bridal style back torwards the shack.

" Sit down, don't move an inch, and wait till I come back." " Where are you going?" "…out." That was the only response she got. He then left her. " What's with him?! A minuet ago he was **kissing **and **hugging** me! Now he's back to his old self: ignoring me, giving me the _one-answer-to-your-pathetic-questions- _trip!! Not that I should be surprised, I mean he _never _cared about me anyway.She sat back and reflected on the day when he returned from his '_three-year- revenge-trip'. _They got back together as a team and made up, but his personality was totally different. Sure he cared for his teammates, but probably nothing more.

" Ugh! Where did he go? Wait….d…don't…t..tell me he left again..?" A terrible feeling coursed through her body. Even though he had been back for almost a year, she still felt that he wasn't all their.

" Man it's been 20 minuets already! Where is he?!" She got worried. "Maybe I should go check outside. _" stay inside and wait till I get back. Don't move an inch." _Sure she remembered this but she just couldn't listen. She slowly opened the door and came face to face with a pack of wild dogs.

" Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!" " did I hear something? That sounded a bit like…Sakura!" Sasuke turned back and headed off towards the shack. Of course he didn't train for three years for nothing. He was able to reach her in two minuets even though he was four miles away.

" Footprints…no..not just any…..Damnit I should've known the stench of blood would attract wild animals!" He opened the door to the shack only to find Sakura surrounded by 13 blood thirsty hounds. The first dog charged twards Sakura who was standing in the corner opposite to him.

" Sharingan." " No! Don't interfere Sasuke-kun, let me show you how strong I've become!"

" I sense an enormous amount of chakra, and the bloodlust is tremendous! Is this all coming from her?"

She gathered all the chakra she could muster in her fist, and hit the ground. It sent a wave of chakra throughout an incredible 6 mile radius! " _heh….that's for you mother, and father_."

" No way! How did she….when did..s..she get so strong! Her chakra control was perfect, and she killed all of them with one blow! All this without breaking a sweat? It can't be Sakura……it just can't!"

" I killed all of them already?! That was too easy! I need more! Hey Sasuke,…heh….fight me!" She had a look in her eye that spelt death. "…..Sakura?……" " What's wrong _Sasuke-kun," _" stop."

" Stop what? I just wanted to blow off some steam! Now fight me!"

" No!…..let's go back-." " Home?…..heh….I have none! I have nothing now!" Tears were visible, streaming down her cheek unnoticed to her.

He noticed of course, but didn't show it. " You….you have me Sakura. You have Naruto and Kakashi. So stop it and let's go." " No", was all he got. It irritated him, but he understood her pain. He understood all too well. The stench of blood filled the air, and Sakura started to break down.

" It's not fair Sasuke-kun! It's not! This shouldn't have happened! I was helpless. It was just like the day you left-I could do nothing…I _was_ nothing ." Teers continued making their way down her rosy cheeks. She was loosing it, she was loosing, herself.

" I……..I'm sorry for leaving you. And you're right I didn't care for you, you meant nothing to me. You were weak, useless, and annoying. But, you were kind, gentle, caring, determined, bright, and beautiful. Those were the things I failed to recognize back then. But this is now, you live in the present, and for the present. The past just holds you back." He couldn't believe he just said that.

" Oh! Doesn't that sound familiar! You held on to the past, so why are you of all people telling me this! You were the very one who basically _lived_ for the past!"

" I know Sakura! Believe me I know! But I've come to pick up from were I left. I realized how pathetic I was back then. I was a mere fool; playing in the palm of his hands, doing his dirty work, becoming just like him. I realized what I threw away, and I'm here to claim it. I'm here…..to claim you."

Sakura was shocked at how open the Uchiha was. No words could explain what she was thinking right now. She could do nothing but ponder on those words, and stare at him in amazement.

In a matter of seconds, he disappeared from her view. It was so quick. He was now directly behind her.

" Sakura……I'm sorry." The only thing heard, was a faint "thud".

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEek so yea! Thanks fer all the reviews!!! Seriously! It really keeps me going! I hope this chapter is a lot longer! It was a make-up fer the time it took me to update! I usually update weekly…so yea!!!!! Please review!!!!!! It really does matter!


	5. meeting

-1Sakura awoke to see the Uchiha sitting on a chair by the bed. It was nighttime now, and the candlelight was the only trace of light visible to her.

"….wh…" She could hardly speak through her parched throat. She struggled to get into a comfortable position, but could only manage to flip onto her side.

" Where are we?"

" The hospital"

" Why?"

" Because."

" I thought I was dead!"

" hn….guess not." It was a one word conversation, and she didn't like it. But, she didn't care either, she was actually used to it.

'Oh…now I remember! I blacked out at the shack!" " Good job", he said with a look of sarcasm.

" Thanks for caring about me." " Hn" " …..right….I never should've expected **you** to care." " I do care, now shut up and get some rest." She was a bit confused at his sudden harshness. " Wait!!….why did you kiss me?" He didn't answer, but just walked on out of her room. He stopped in the hallway.

" Because I care….Sakura…", whispered Sasuke. He managed to let out a little chuckle as he left the hospital.

Naruto and the others arrived at the shack. Shikamaru found etched writing and immediately noticed that it was Sasuke's handwriting. He gave the signal, and everyone left--heading for Konoha.

-------------------------

Sakura was packing and was ready to leave the hospital. She stayed for three days. Enduring visits from all of her friends, as well as teachers.

" Sakura, May I come in?" " Sure." Tsunade walked in, and Sakura already knew what she was in for.

" Don't worry Tsunade-sama, I'm going to stay at Ino's house until I can clean up my own."

" Heh….nice try Sakura, but that's already been done. You're parents funeral will be held in six days."

The room fell silent at the mention of her parents. She looked up at Tsunade with a sad smile. " Thank you." " Sakura…please take good care of yourself." " I will." Satisfied, Tsunade left the room and headed to her office.

Sakura prepared to jump out of the window when she suddenly felt a prescence behind her.

" A girl like you shouldn't be jumping off the fifth floor of a hospital building." " A normal guy doesn't sneak up on a girl." " y'know, For a cute girl, you sure have a sharp tongue."

"Look Sasuke-kun I need to go…..home…." " Please, let me help."

He grabbed her and they both jumped landing softly on the pavement below. She was a bit surprised at first.

"Let's go", said Sasuke. He leaped from tree to tree followed by Sakura. They arrived at her house. Sakura tried to hide the fact that she was shaking, but knowing Sasuke, he notices everything.

"I'll do it", said Sasuke. He opened the door and stepped in. He turned around and held his hand out to her.

"Come." "N…..Not yet". "I said Come in." His crimson eyes bore down into her and she couldn't refuse. She took his hand and they walked into her house.

It was really hard on Sakura because she had to pass her parents room first. She stiffened as they stopped right in front of her parents room. He clutched her waist tightly. "Don't worry". They continued walking down the hall.

The tears burned the corners of her eyes. "_No….I will not cry….not in front of him_." They reached her room. "O….okay I can take it from h--," before she knew it, she was presented with a deep kiss. It was unexpected, and she had no time to react. He began sliding his hand through her pink locks. His tongue began feeling every inch of her mouth. A small groan managed to escape her throat. He pressed into her harder, knowing she liked it. Getting hold of the situation; she pushed him away. "What are you doing?!" The death of her parents was now taking it's toll on her. She felt ashamed of her actions-like she didn't deserve this.

They stared at each other for what seemed forever. "Why?? Sasuke-kun." He knew very well what she was asking. "Please tell me!!!" His expression hadn't changed at all, but she could tell that his aura was more relaxed. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, and with a hardly audible voice said; "…because I….want you…" He found it very hard to unlock the emotions that he had suppressed so very long ago.

"Ummm….you probably already know what I'm going to say next, but I'll say it anyway. _I…...love you Sasuke-kun_." The next two days flew by faster than Sakura had imagined. She got up as usual and reported to Tsunade's office.

On her way she met with Sasuke who was sitting on a nearby tree branch. They nodded and ran toward the hokage's office. Sakura knocked, and her heart starting beating faster for no reason.

"Come in." "Good morning Tsunade-sama," said Sasuke. "Good morning," spoke Sakura who averted her sensei's intense stare. " Sakura, you are aware that you've been a Chunin for too long. I'd like for you to become a jounin a soon as possible.." Sakura was stunned at her senseis sudden urge to make her a Jounin.

" I…I…don't think I'm ready for that yet. With all due respect, I like my current position as Chunin. I also feel that I need to become stronger." " Sakura you are my student, and if I feel that you are ready, then you are ready." " Tsunade-sama….I..I'm still not strong enough!" Tsunade got up from her desk and threw a quick punch aimed for her student's stomach. It was unexpected and deadly.

Sakura caught her fist, and to her surprise she was able to land a punch to Tsunade's abdomen. Of course she didn't mean to hit her teacher, but her instincts were too sharp. " Heh…..I think I've made my point Sakura."

" I'm s…sorry Hokage-sama, please forgive me for being so rude." Sasuke stood by and chuckled. " Sakura you are one of the best kunoiochi's here in Konohagakure. Please take time to

think this over. Tsunade motioned her to leave.

" Sakura!", yelled Tsunade. Sakura halted and turned around. " Yes?'' "………take care." " I will! Don't worry." she flashed one of her famous smiles. Which shocked both Sasuke and Tsunade. It was very rare these days.

With that, The two left the room. What Tsunade meant to say, was ' I'm sorry for your loss,' but decided against it. For she knew that it would be a sore spot for her from now on.

Sasuke and Sakura walked down the hall and said nothing. They sensed a similar chakra…a _very_ similar chakra. It headed straight for them.

" Oi!!! Sakuraaaaaa-chaaaaaaaan!!!! Long time no see! How've you been?, are you okay?, did he try anything on you?, are you hungry?" " I'm fine Naruto. Theirs no need to worry about me, really." " Oh!…well I was heading over to the ramen stand with Hinata. You guys wanna come?!"

"…..hn….I've got something to do." "……..alright…fine…..I guess I'll see you folks later…..ja." Both smiled as they watched their teammate leave. " Well I guess I'll get going then…" said Sakura. Sasuke disappeared in a puff of smoke, followed by Sakura.

She arrived at her house after a long vigorous stroll. " Ugh…..I feel so tired…" She started striping her clothes on her way to the shower. She slipped in the hot water. It made her forget all the troubles she'd gone through. Sleep then began to consume her.

" …nhhnn…….what time is it?! Wait! I'm still in the shower! I fell asleep in the shower?!" Sakura quickly shot up, but slipped. Instead of hearing the splash, she felt two strong arms supporting her. She turned around only to see…………

To be continued….

* * *

Awwwwwwwww I know I suck at cliffhangers --'! this chapter had nothing special about it really. But the next one will be good! Updates will start coming faster! Due to the fact that it's now summer break….well please let me know how you feel about the story so far. I'd really appreciate it! Oh!! I know you want my chappies to be longer ', and believe me, it's not that easy with this screwed-up computer..:O…But!! I've managed to type a little more before my computer unexpectedly shuts down losing all of my data.……--'…………review!!!!! I need 6+ reviews for a new chappie …it does matter!!!!!!! kaipo 


	6. night out

-1Previously----

Sakura quickly stood up from the tub, but slipped and fell. Instead of hearing the splash, she felt two strong arms supporting her. She turned around only to see---

---- " S…Sasuke-kun?!" " Welcome back Sakura. Enjoy the nap hm?" " _OMyyyyGawwwwwwdddd!!! It's a half naked Sasuke!! In my shower non the less!" _Her face turned bright red. She was acting as if she were Hinata who just got kissed by Naruto.

" You fell asleep in the shower with the water running. So I decided to turn it off." "…Y…..you…..what?….You didn't have to jump in** and** shower!" said Sakura who was wrapping herself in a towel. " And …wait, why are you in my house?" " I was bored." " B..bored!! That's you're excuse?!"

" It's not an excuse it's the truth." He smirked and started walking towards her. She was glad he had the towel around his lower half. She turned around and ran to her room down the hall. The towel barely covering her womanly parts. " Well go away!" She ran in her room and shut the door locking it. She turned around and almost jumped through the roof. " Crap!" It was Sasuke. The moonlight clearly brought out his crimson eyes, sending shivers up her spine.

" When did you--." He appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He rested his head in the crook of her neck. " Shhh…….it's late at night and you're making too much noise." " Let go of me! Get out of my house!" She found herself pinned to the wall.

" What the hell do you want bastard!" "….You….." His eyes were full of lust. Sakura was shocked to hear this coming from him. "Hahaha, very funny Sasuke-kun, but seriously……go home." He gave a small sigh. " Fine, can I have some clothes." What the hell do I look like to you? I'm not you're damn maid! Heh….I guess you'll just have to walk home with nothing more than a towel!" Sakura almost laughed at the thought of seeing the Uchiha walking around naked.

" hn….Then I guess I'll just have to sleep over.'' " On second thought, lemme go get you some clothes!'' He gave a little smirk. She began rummaging through her closet and found an oversized black shirt, and cargo pants. " Here, you can have the shirt it's too big on me." " Hn…." " As for me, I'm going to put on my nightgown. When I come back you'd better be gone. Got it? Good!"

She walked into the bathroom and changed. Her wet hair was still sticking to the sides of her face and neck. It was very irritating. She was now walking down the hall. " He'd better be gone."

Sure enough, he wasn't their. Not a single trace remained." It was 12:30 a.m., and she was as tired as hell. " Wow…it's pretty quiet now that they're gone."

_-----------------------flashback--------------------------_

" _Goodnight dear, have sweet dreams." _

" _I will mom…." Her mom kissed her, while her dad tucked her in._

" _Get some good sleep, you'll need it for you're first B-ranked mission tomorrow."_

" _I know dad! Goodnight."_

_---------------------end flashback----------------------_

"….heh…..no more of that…no..m..more." She felt the tears sting the corners of her eyes. Her feet were getting sore from standing in the same spot. So she decided to walk over to her bed. She pulled up the covers, and started reminiscing on the past week of her now miserable life.

" Okay let's see. I come home to find my parents slaughtered. No idea who did it yet. Tried to drown myself, killed a pack of wild dogs, offered a chance to become a high ranked Jounin, punch the Hokage, and then wake up in the shower only to find _him _right there. Wow….doesn't that sound great.''

All these memories brought tears to her eyes. But, she refused to cry. Within no time at all she fell asleep, unaware of the pair of eyes watching her. A single tear was left trailing down her left cheek. That tear however, was soon wiped away by the person that entered the room through her window. The person kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear; " Goodnight, sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite! Have sweet dreams……my cherry blossom." She unconsciously smiled, " Hn….goodnight…mommy" With that, the person left leaving Sakura with nothing but a good dream ahead of her.

The next four days were extremely hard on her. Everywhere she went people would gossip. She would be right their while villagers talked-- thinking that she couldn't hear. But no, she did hear. She heard everything from the insults, rumors, trash talk, false acquisitions, to the name calling. You name it. They would say stuff like: _" I heard she's sleeping with Sasuke-poo" " Well I heard that she hired someone to kill her parents. She's a total slut!" " Did you hear that she started working at the strip club! What a whore! I mean, not even I would do that! Talk about good girl gone bad! Haaaahahhaa!"_

" …How dare they talk like they know me!" Those things weren't true, and it angered her. She learned how to brush it off though. Whenever her good friends would hear someone bad-mouthing Sakura--they'd beat'em up and tell them to apologize. Sakura really did appreciate it. She loved them for it.

Sasuke became somewhat protective over her, even though he had only been back for a few months. His fan club as bigger than ever. Sakura had her fan club too, but an even bigger 'hate-club'. She was not liking her life at all. Sakura decided to accept the offer from Tsunade, and had the same stoic expression as _you-know-who. _

She was now walking on the streets of Konoha. " Oi!!! Sakura-chaaaan! You wanna go grab a drink with me, Ino, and H-i-n-a-t-a-?" " We are only 17 Idiot, we can't go to bars!'' " We'll have Ino seduce the security guard! C'mon Sakura-chaaaan! Please PLEASE!?" Naruto started running around in circles around her, which drove her nuts! " FINE ALREADY I'LL GO!!" " Great I'll meet you at the Kondo bar at six! Ja!" He disappeared in a puff of smoke.

She arrived at the Kondo bar. " Wow! Ino's already going at it!" She was referring to her flirting tactics " _That man is a total gonner. _Hey, Ino! Good job!" She jerked her head to Sakura's position by the tree.

" Sakura dear! You came! Hey, take off that hood so we can see you're beautiful face!" Sakura was wearing a black sweater, and a red mini skirt. Her hair was styled like Tsunade's, and she wore black sport shoes.

Naruto came in an oversized orange shirt with long black baggy pants. His face matured so much, he was almost the spitting image of Yondaime.

Ino wore a purple jacket, low-riders, a white tube-top, and tall sandals. Her hair was put into a beautiful ponytail. They walked into the bar and sat down at the counter. Everyone ordered a few drinks, except Sakura, who seemed interested in the brown wall paper.

" Oi! Sakura-chan! Drink _something!_" Oh yeah, Naruto was drunk and super hyper. He kept taunting her about having a damn drink. Thing is, she already felt drunk due to the fact that Naruto was going off like an alarm clock which wouldn't shut-up!

" Hey Naruto look, It's Hinata!" said Ino. " What? Where?, where?, where?" He spotted her in the corner of the room and immediately ran over to her. " _Ugh….I feel kinda sorry for Hinata."_

The two girls were left alone. They talked about missions and other stuff. They no longer fought over Sasuke, for Ino was already _engaged_ to Shikamaru. Hinata on the other hand, had already hooked up with Naruto, after confessing her love for him on a mission. Sakura was very happy for the two.

" So how's it going with Sasuke? How far did you guys get!" " Their nothing going on between us, I swear!" " Yea right! You folks are always seen together! He even left your house last night! Ha! How do you explain that?!" " He was going over the meeting we will be attending tomorrow." " alright alright, I believe you!" Ino ordered another drink.

" I really hope you find someone Sakura. You've been down lately. I miss you're smile! I'm just……worried…" " Thanks Ino, _but really I don't think Sasuke-kun is interested….." _They both sat in silence until Sakura ordered a drink. Ino was surprised.

" One bloody Vodka please!" The bartender set the drink in front of her. _" Heh…this oughta do it!" _The music was pounding, and she heard her favorite song. " Hey Ino! Let's dance!" She grabbed Ino by the arm and pulled her into the crowd. Within no time at all, Sakura and Ino were the center of attention. Sakura really enjoyed it. Ino was used to it.

Looks of jealousy were plastered on the faces of the women. Some guys were drooling, which they found really disgusting. Sakura ordered more drinks and danced the whole night. Ino was having the time of her life, but Hinata and Naruto were no where to be found.

It was now 2:00 a.m., and it was closing time. Sakura could hardly walk let alone stand. Her vision was blurred. They both made it out of the club safely, until Sakura's legs gave way. " Haaah! You sure can hold you're liquor! Let me piggy-back you home." "…hmmm…yea…."

She arrived at her house. " _oh crap……..it's Sasuke ! How am I gonna explain this! Damnit Sakura, you owe me one!" _Sasuke was standing in the doorway, clearly pissed.

" Sakura! Where have you been! Do you have any idea how late it is!?" " Chill Sasuke! You're not her mother!" Ino didn't feel like putting up with this. She'd rather be at home with her Shika. " We just went out for a bit Sasuke. Nothing to be worried about." " Why is she like _that _Ino?" " She's just happy! Right Sakura?!" " ……hmmmm……yea….happy…" Sakura was totally out of it.

" Here you take her Sasuke! I'll leave you two alone tonight! Just behave yourselves!" Sasuke shot Ino a quick glare, which didn't go unnoticed. " Okay! I'm off Just don't try anything on my Sakura!" " INO!" " Okay!!…..I'm going!…sheesh…''

Sakura stood up and fumbled for the keys which were crammed in her pocket. If Sasuke weren't their to hold her up, she'd be at the bottom of the staircase dead. " Damnit…I..can't get IT OUT!!!" Sasuke gave her a deep sigh. " Here…let me." He put his hands in her pocket and felt for the keys.

Sakura was in heaven. His breath on her neck felt good, and sent shivers up her spine.

She leaned into his chest and threw her head back into his shoulder. " …..let's go…." The alcohol began taking it's toll on her, for now she couldn't really stand. " What a drag." said Sasuke. He picked her up and carried her to her room. It felt like she hadn't been their for an eternity.

He sat her on the bed and handed her a cloth. " Wipe down, you must feel gross." " I'll just…take a shower…" He stared at her for a long time, admiring the view she posed. " Fine just don't drown or fall asleep. You have ten minuets, if you're not out by then I'll come in and get you. Got it? Good." It brought back memories of the night where she woke up to find him in the shower with her. A small blush formed on her cheeks. " Just don't jump in," she teased." " That's 8 minutes, you'd better hurry." " Oh stuff it!" He gave a small chuckle, and sat on her bed.

She was now enjoying the hot water. She looked up into the ceiling and let her mind wander. " _I really had fun at the bar, that's for sure! I wonder where Hinata and Naruto went?" _She was doing it again--falling asleep in the shower. She just couldn't help it. It was the only time she felt 'happy'.

Okies!! I hope this chappie is longer!!!!!! I really like this chappie!!! I think it's my best so far! Tell me what you think !! I need to know now!!!!!! Review!!!! Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thank all of the reviewers!!! It really does push me to wright!! I already have the whole story planned out! But I'm debating on weather I should or ……...well!!!! I'll try post the next chappie up sooner!


	7. resurfacing emotions

Okaaaaaayyyyyy sorry it took so long to update ' this chappie might be shorter...my computer is acting up again whacks computer

" Hnn……what time is it?" Sakura rubbed her eyes, and stretched. She looked around. " Had a good sleep?" Her heart skipped a beat as she looked in the corner of the room. Sitting on the chair eating a tomato, was Sasuke Uchiha.

" Holy Skittles! What the hell are you doing in my bathroom?! Get out!!"

" Hn…. That's all you can say? It's been 47 minuets and 39 seconds that you've been in that shower. Won't you thank me for not waking you up?"

The alcohol had worn off and she was fully aware of the situation. " No I won't thank you. I wouldn't have cared if you woke me up anyway, now get out of bathroom _Uchiha _." Her harsh words surprised him a bit. But he didn't show it. The only expression he held was the same as always: stoic.

" _Hmph….I expected her to jump out of the shower and start hugging me. I guess she's not the same love-stuck twelve year old eh? I kinda miss those day's."_ He got up and walked out of the bathroom, leaving her to her business.

She wrapped the towel around her body. It was so warm and fuzzy. She still liked those things. A smile was placed upon her lips, but only lasted for a second. It felt weird smiling sometimes, like it was foreign to her. She thought those muscles no longer worked. " heh…I… guess they still do."

She entered her room only to see Sasuke sitting on her bed. " Hey, didn't I say for you to go home?!" " No, you said 'get out.' Look, you need to stop this childish behavior it's not like you Sakura. So stop moping around and pull yourself together. That rude language doesn't fit you either."

Sakura was shocked by his words. She started to get angry. " WELL _EXCUSE_ ME, who gave you the right to come in my house and start yelling at me, what're you my mother?!" " Did I say I was? No. All I want is the old Sakura back. I came for her, not for…._this." _

" So you're saying you want the old weak Sakura. The one who always had to watch her teammates do all the work? Well too bad, you won't be getting her back any sooner!" " Why not?"

" Because I chose to change. After you left, I felt the need for power. I was just like you. I knew I could never be more important then your revenge, but I wanted to change anyway. I wanted to be stronger so that one day…..one day…." Her eyes became blurry. It was the tears that started forming threatening to spill. She felt the need to let everything out. But it made her feel weak, and she didn't like that. She had to admit that she didn't like what she became, but it was the only way to make Sasuke notice her. At least that's what she thought.

" …and then maybe one day….you would…." "..would…?" " MAYBE ONE DAY YOU'D NOTICE ME! THEN I COULD MAKE YOU HAPPY! BUT NOW THAT I'M LIKE THIS, THEIRS NO WAY I CAN EVER DO THAT IS THERE?!"

He just sat on her bed an watched her break. The wet ends of her hair clung to her face and silky white night gown. He wanted to tell her how much she did mean to him back then. But seeing the current situation, he knew it would make her more upset.

" Well Sakura, I'm here now. Now you can make me happy right?" " Yes!! I do, but things have changed so much! I didn't expect my parents to die, and I…..!" Every though and emotion she surpressed over the years were all screaming to be set free. She wanted to cry. " You what?"

" I certainly didn't expect you to come back for me! I mean, I'm totally different. I know I've changed, and I don't like it. Hearing that you don't like either…it…well.I guess I just can't make you happy after all. I want to change! Believe me, I"d do anything to change for you! But as much as I want to …I….I…." " …'don't know how'…" he finished . She nodded her head and bit back a sob. She stared at the wooden floor, whose patterns she seemed to have memorized.

He got up and hugged her gently. " Then let me show you, Sakura." Those few words meant the world to her. She couldn't help but look up at him and smile. This caught him off guard, and their was no hiding his shocked expression. " _she…smiled!..I'm glad Sakura." _He just smiled at her.

For once it felt alright smiling. It didn't feel wrong or awkward. After her parents death, she felt like she shouldn't be happy, she thought she didn't deserve it. It was as if Sasuke read her mind, and knew what she was thinking. "Don't worry….they want you to be happy. And so does Kakashi, Naruto, and Tsunade. Even me, Sakura." he smiled at her: a true smile.

She released a little giggle. " What?" She started laughing even harder, trying to stop it from progressing. It was a genuine laugh. One he and everyone else hadn't heard in years. It made him smile, which was also very rare. " Haaahahahaha Ahaaaahahah!…ohh!!….Hashanah..oh my gosh…oh..s…sorry..it's just that…I never though..you were so mushy inside! It's so cute!" They stayed their and hugged for a while.

" Thank you Sasuke-kun. You've made me feel real again, I missed that feeling." " Well I'm glad I brought it back!" He hugged her even tighter. " I've missed that laugh of yours, and that smile which would always drive me crazy." They both smiled at each other and fell on the bed. She closed her eyes and fell asleep with a smile, and a single tear was left trailing down her left cheek. Sasuke took his sleeve and wiped away.

" Good night Sakura, sweet dreams!"

OOOOOOookkkkaaaaaaaaay I know this chappie is short, but blame my computer!!! I promise the next chapter will be much longer!! ' please continue to read and review!!! I NEED 6+ REVIEWS FOR ANOTHER CHAPPIE!!

( that's also another reason it took longer to update)


	8. weak

Sakura woke up to the sun, shinning in her eyes. It's been so long since she had a good nights sleep. She was about to get up and go to the hospital, when a strange warmth was felt encircling her waist. Shw was about to clobber whoever, or whatever it was. That was until she noticed who it was.

" Sasuke-kun?! Get out of my bed!" Of course Sasuke was already up. He spent all night marveling at the fact that he was taking care of his "teammate", the girl who he never noticed.

"Sakura, i'm glad you're up and running." " Oh! r..right...um...about last night...t..thank you...i mean..uhh..." Sakura was at a loss of words, but Sasuke knew exactly what she meant. He decided to change the subject.

" Why don't we go shopping today. I need more bandages, and...tomatoes."

" T...tomatoes?!!!HAHAHAHA!! ok ok ok ok sure!" For some odd reason, Sakura found his shopping list quiet funny-well only the tomatoes.

She walked into the bathroom and did her thing while he fixed the bed. She looked in the mirror.

_" Way to go pink-chan! You got to sleep with Raven-head!"_

"What th-- who're you?!"

_"It's you're 'inner-self' duuuuhh. Just how long were you planning on keeping me locked up in here?! Anyway, can you just stop brooding! Raven-head is actually back! And he's back for you!!"_

" It makes no difference to me! I don't really care if he's back for me! He could've hooked up with Ino-pig for all i care! And don't call me 'Pink-chan' It's irritating! And don't call Sasuke-kun 'Raven-head'!!

"_ Can't you just give'im a chance?! You know he's the only one for you! And hey, it's okay to be you're 12 year old self at times, it's what he's trying to bring out of you!"_

" No! That Sakura was weak! I"ve changed! I want him to recognize the new me!"

_"...Sheesh...you just don't get it do you! He's not trying make you 'weak' again, he just wants you to well...love him! S'all i'm sayin...bye...pink-chan!"_

" Don't call me 'Pink-chan'!!!!"

The two left the house, and were walking alongside the lake. She admired the way the sun hit the surface, making it look like thousands of diamonds were floating about. Sasuke was watching her. The way her pink hair contrasted with the clear water. She looked too perfect.

They bought some bandages, and Sakura payed for his tomatoes. Sasuke treated her to some sushi as a thank you. They both ignored the glare they had receiving from the villagers. One girl had enough guts to slap Sakura, it was totally unexpected.

" You whore! Why on earth are **you** hanging around with **Sasuke-kun**? Brat! You don't even deserve to liv-" she was soon shut-up by the insainly dark chakra, eminating from Sasuke. The girl could hardly breath. She gritted her teeth, and took off-a few tears trailing behind.

Sakura lifted her hand to her cheek. " Hmph...her slaps are weak." Sakura despised the weak.

Both arrived at Sasuke's house, and Sakura dropped off the groceries. " Well i guess I'll go home now. Thanks for the sushi." "It's getting late, just stay over my house tonight." It wasn't a question, more like a command. "..that's alright...my house is pretty close, so i'll be fine. Besides, don't you think i can handle myself on a 10 minute walk? So i'll see you tomm-" Sasuke couldn't wait and pulled her in.

They watched Prison break, ate dinner, and watched more T.V. " Sakura we've got a meeting tomorrow so why don't you get some sl--" too late, she was already knocked out. Sasuke gave a satisfying smirk, walked over to the couch, slipped in, and pulled up the covers.


	9. Chapter 9

I would like to apologize to all of my readers for not being able to update my story for the past few months! I was changing it around a little (i had the whole story written out). Then i had writers block...but yea...i'm thinking of going up to about 19 chapters...maybe a sequel...like an itasaku sequel! You know where she gets kidnapped by the akatsuki...then...yea!!! naruto dies!!! BWAAAHAHAHAH...just kidding!!! but yea! Expect an update in a week or so .'

kaipo PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!their are 3425 hits, but only 39 reveiws!!!I WANT TO HEAR UR FEEDBACK!!!


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